


Assemble Your Team

by Jessica23



Series: Fight For The Lost [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Adept (Mass Effect), Angst, Drama & Romance, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/F, F/M, Mass Effect 1, Original Character(s), Romance, Ruthless (Mass Effect), Smut, Sole Survivor (Mass Effect), Solider Mass Effect, Telepathy, Vanguard (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-02-20 03:02:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessica23/pseuds/Jessica23
Summary: A new player enters into the world of Mass Effect, and he has no idea who he is or where he came from.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Mass Effect fanfic so far, so be gentle with me. 
> 
> I LOVE Mass Effect games so much that I decided to write a fanfic, and I've been thinking about it for the longest time. 
> 
> Also my idea of having both femshep and maleshep in the story kinda makes sense, because I see them as brother and sister and since they have the same last name it's only fair that I put both in the story. LOL.

** Prologue: Year 2177, Akuze **

Before a man named Commander John Shepard and his crew of Alliance marines and alien friends were tracking down a rouge spectre named Saren Arterius; a terrorist organization were researching artifices, experimenting on husks, rachni and thresher maws for their sick way of maintaining human interest in the galaxy, however one operative choose something different in her mind…

After rescuing her sister from her father, Miranda sought help from the Illusive Man, who was kind enough to help with her sister in placing her with a good family. She then found a job with the Illusive Man that same day. Although young, Ms. Miranda Lawson was exceptional at her work and not once has she failed to please him. When she was 27, she was place as a caretaker to one of the organization’s experiments, the Guardian Project.

Of course, the Illusive Man failed to mention where he found his subject and only asked Miranda to take care of it. During the project, the Illusive Man worked for months trying to awaken him from slumber to no luck at all. He even had his best scientists figure it out but to no avail. Miranda was his last hope.

“…Dar… Subject has show signs of resistance to element zero. Vitals are normal. No signs of awareness yet. Brain scan at the green, normal as always. No signs of trauma. Blood running normal too. Subject has been asleep for three years before my arrival with no signs of abnormal activities. May increase the dose for another hour, see if we can awaken him.”

Miranda goes to a terminal and starts to increase the dose to 10 knots, within the tank is the subject in question, he is naked, flouting in a tube of liquid water with a breathable mask. The water on the tank start to bubble making the subject unaware. Then the bubbling stopped, all signs normal, no awaken awareness is what reads in the terminal.

“Nothing. Somehow the serum is going in but it appears to have no effect to him. How can something so remarkable, have no sense for awareness?” Miranda said as she step forward to touch the glass. There she can feel something hot, even though the glass itself is suppose to be cold due to the water. For a moment, she waited, to see what happens, and then after a few seconds she can almost hear his heartbeat, she retreated her hand and looked at him again, he slowly opened his eyes to see the young girl in front of him and after a quick second he closed them.

Miranda gasped, “How did—” before she could finish, a scientist came in through the door in alert, “What now?”

“Ma’am, the thresher maws are loose, and they’re tearing the building to the ground, we need to leave.”

She marched to him, “Our work here isn’t complete!”

“Who cares? Your boy has been asleep for the past three years, to no point of waking up. While we have been here longer than you, in dealing with the thresher maws, you’ve just been sitting on your ass playing housemaid!” A crash was sound, followed by an explosion. “If you won’t come with us, we’re all dead. Leave the boy!”

“Damn it!” She ran towards the door, only to look back once. _I hope it’s worth the risk. I sure like to know if you ever awake from this._ She thought.

* * *

In life, you will realize that there is a purpose for every person you meet. Some are there to test you, some will use you, some will teach you, and some will bring out the worst in you, while others brings out the best. There come a time in life where you have to leave everything behind and start something new. But never forget the ones who stood by your side, especially the ones who never gave up on you. Only you can decide when the time has come, because there is a fine line in giving up and knowing when you have had enough.

_Who am I? What is my purpose? Have I been asleep for so long? Where am I? Those voices, I don’t recognize them._

“John Shepard…”

_John Shepard? Is that my name? No, I don’t think it is._

“…Sole survivor of Akuze. He risked his life to save…”

_Save? Was I saved? I don’t remember being in danger. Did John Shepard saved me?_

“…He’s a hero. One of the best…”

_Hero. John Shepard._

It’s been several hours since the Alliance Military found a boy within a tank and they have been focusing on awaken the boy from sleep from the tube they found on Akuze, and with any luck they might just do it. With a little alien help.

An asari stood next to an Alliance Marine with short red hair, she wears an N7 uniform with her arms crossed, she spoke, “So…this is what he found on Akuze? Kinda strange for someone to miss that in the mission detail.”

“It is amazing to find such a thing, a living thing in cased in a tube near a thresher maws nest. It was near a thresher maws nest, correct?”

The marine nods, “Yeah, at least that’s what he told me.”

“To have his whole unit killed by thresher maws on Akuze, then having to fight alone while trying to save this boy from the same fate while waiting for evacuation…I’m amazed as to his bravery.” The asari said with her curiosity voice.

The marine huffed, “John Shepard…he’s one hell of a marine.”

“John. Shepard.” The voice in the tank said.

Both the marine and asari were shocked to hear another’s voice. They knew they were the only ones within the room, and they would have recognized their voices, so it couldn’t be them. “Did you just…”

“I did not say anything.”

The boy in the tank slowly opened his eyes, they were crimson, and when he opened them he saw the asari woman and the red haired marine staring at him.

“John Shepard.” He said again.

“Uh, yeah. John Shepard, how do you know him?” The marine asked.

The boy blinked once, as he looked to the marine he spoke again, his mouth didn’t move at all, he spoke with his mind, “His name, I remember hearing it once before, in a dream.”

The asari stood next to the marine when she moved two feet away, “A dream?”

“John Shepard, hero, sole survivor of Akuze. Those words were in my dream. I remembered.”

“And what else do you remember?”

“Little things, not much is very clear. I remember someone saying that I have been asleep for…three years? I remember being in pain, I couldn’t move, couldn’t even open my eyes. I heard voices, coming from outside.” He said searching in his memory.

“Who’s voices?” The marine said.

The boy narrowed his brows, trying to focus his thoughts, “I can’t remember, they’re speaking all at once. This tank, it serves little memory for me. But I do recall an explosion, and screams…something about thresher maws.”

“Thresher maws?”

“Yes. I remember someone said it had escaped and they had to evacuate immediately. I don’t remember much else, I was kept in this tank for a long time, asleep, for three years.” He admitted.

The asari whispered to the marine, “They have kept him in a coma for three years without awaking, they must have implanted something within him that would keep him in stasis for that long. Cerberus must be controlling him.”

“Maybe, but let’s see what we know first.” The marine whispered, and then turned her attention to the boy in the tank, “What do you know of Cerberus, do you work for them?”

“Cerberus? I’ve never heard of that. I’ve been asleep for three years, I don’t know who or what Cerberus is.” He told truth.

The asari spoke, “It’s an organization that believes to serve humanity, but news tells a different story. That they do things in the wrong way, they’re terrorists.”

“Then I do not work for them, who would want to work with an organization that is involved in terrorism. I do not wish it.”

The red haired marine nods, “Our people, the Alliance, are not like that. We protect everyone, every race in the galaxy. But we don’t deal with terrorist like Cerberus. If you’re Cerberus, then that means you’re a threat.”

“I am not Cerberus. I am no threat, how can I be if I am in this tank?”

“He has a point.”

“Right, but John Shepard found you in a Cerberus lab right, during the thresher maw attacked. He saved your life, instead of the lives of his men.”

“John Shepard…saved me? So it was not a dream. He is real. Please, I must speak to him, I wish to thank him.”

The marine narrowed her eyes, “Why?”

“If John Shepard was willing to risk his life at the cost of his men in order to save one he doesn’t know and someone who doesn’t know him, deserves to be thankful. John Shepard saved my life, and I wish to thank him.”

The asari gently interrupted, “John Shepard is currently unavailable at this point due to medical reasons. If you like, we be happy to pass on the message.”

“I see. And to whom I am passing the message to?”

“My name is Dr. Liara T’Soni and this is Jane Shepard, an Alliance soldier.”

“You are related to John Shepard I take it?”

“You can say that, I’m his sister.”

“I see. You must be as brave as he is. Please if you can pass along the message to your brother, I would appreciate it.”

“Sure, I’ll pass along the message but I’m gonna need a name as to who is sending it from.”

“My name? My name…”


	2. Chapter 2

** Year 2178, Torfan **

_It’s been a year, since my rescue on that planet. I don’t remember how I got there but I know how I was saved. A man, John Shepard, saved me, even though I was a stranger to him. He faced the odds, while on Akuze, but he survived it. Even though I was not protocol, he risked his life for me, and that I will always be grateful. After my rescue, I joined the Alliance, so now I fight for justice in the Galaxy, at least that’s what I’m trying to do._ He thinks to himself. He walks through the hall of the station and is greeted by his fellow soldiers along the way. He greets them back and heads to the security office room watching the cameras on the dozen screens. _Here I am. A soldier of the Alliance, only a year of my military career and I’m sick of being on this station._ He says in thought as he flips through channels, _It’s not easy. Not when this place is full of criminals. I had to put some of them down. I’m not saying I enjoyed it, but it had to be done._

A woman walks in with two cups of coffee. She hands one of them to him and drinks. She was a dark skinned brunette, around the age of 20, named Bethany Russo, a lieutenant in the Alliance.

“You look like you can use a break. I know a good cup of coffee can sure fix it.” Bethany said.

“Thanks LT. I needed something.”

“Still no word from Hackett?”

“No. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but I don’t like it.” He said feeling worried.

Beth shrugged while drinking, “I’m sure everything is ok. The admirals just wants to discuss on what they’ll do next. This things take time.”

He kept scrolling through channels until he found a channel he couldn’t get his eyes off of. The screen showed a hallway, nearly destroyed and full of debris. The lights were flickering and there were live wires hanging from the ceiling. The floor had a high blood stain that was completely dried. “This is where I found her. I tried to save her. The batarians were all over. I had her shield on the ground, she already had the gunshot wound and she bled out. I tried to save her.”

“You’ve done all you could have. Capt. Emmerson would have been proud of you. It was a trap, no way of knowing.”

“She died in my arms Beth. Can’t just erase that. The last thing she told me was to finish the job. To find the son of a bitch who shoot her.”

Beth nods, “And you found him. Don’t know how you did it, but… yeah.”

“I’m telling you right now LT, if Hackett reaches out and if I get promoted, I swear, this time I’m not leaving any man behind, not again---”

Just then, the over comms was sounded, “You’ve an incoming call from Admiral Hackett. Should I patch it through?”

“We’ll take it in the meeting room,” He said then to comms turned off. Bethany nods and follows him. Knowing him, she knew she had to go with him to be an eye witness. Beth was the only one on his team he can count on, always by the book, even when the decisions he makes doesn’t always agree.

Once they get into the meeting room, the comms sounded again saying, “Patching through with the admiral now.” And then that was it. The admiral showed himself through a virtual VI. Admiral Hackett was making the call. Both Beth and him saluted the admiral until he said, “At ease. First off, I wanted to congratulate you for keeping the batarians in line on Torfan. I know some of the lives you lost were quite dear to you, to all of us. Including the life of our beloved Capt. Beatrice Emmerson. She was fine captain, a good solider and she will be missed.”

“If I may sir, before her death, Capt. Emmerson requested that she be buried on Earth with the rest of her family. I like to honor that request by taking her in personally.”

“Understood, she deserves no less. I’ll make the arrangements for when you arrive. Oh, and when you get here, your presence is requested on the admiralty board, effective immediately.” Hackett said with a serious tone of voice.

He nods, “Yes, sir.”

“There will be a ship arriving soon, at 0800. We’ll see you then. Hackett out.” The call ends.

Beth sighs, “Well, I guess this is it. I’ll be sure to get Capt. Emmerson’s body ready for departure. You sure you’re ok?”

“I’m fine LT. Just get her ready for pickup. I need to go and get my things too.”

She nods, “Alright.”

“And LT… Thank you, for everything.” He said as he turned to face her. Beth smiles at him and heads to retrieve the body in the med-bay.

* * *

**Year 2178, Earth**

About 0800, an Alliance ship makes it’s departure from Torfan and heads to the Earth through the mass relay. Once they arrived, the marines greeted them at the docking bay, giving their final respects to the fallen captain. The funeral was set and everyone got to say their peace. Guns were fired and soon after, a flag was placed on the casket as it was now ready to be descended to the ground. The marines saluted the dead captain until it was completely buried.

It wasn’t long after that the admiral went up to him. “Goodbyes, are the hardest things in this line of work…”

“…But we do right by remembering those who came before us. It’s a good saying, sir. I won’t forget it.”

Hackett nods, his arms to his back, “Come on. We have been monitoring your records on several occasions, and I must say, it’s impressive. You’ve only been with us since, how long now?”

He interrupted, “A year, sir.”

“And you’ve had no military experience before then.”

“No, sir.”

“Your first year with us, was… well, let’s just say it was unexpected. For someone who has no military experience on and off the field, you sure were full of surprises.”

 _Why is this coming up now? Did I impressed the board with my little experience as a soldier?_ He thought. “I know I have less experience than everyone else, sir, but I am a quick study. I move fast on my feet, and I know what the next move is going to be---”

“I wasn’t questioning your skills. Though, you do seem to manage more than the average person. Been on the job one year and not a scratch on you. Your medical records are questionable but understandable. You heal faster than others and your biotics are incredible. But that’s not the reason why I called you here.” The admiral stopped at a door inside headquarters.

“Then why am I here?” _He’s hiding something. Something important from me, why?_

“Don’t try to read my thoughts. Shepard already told me about your ability when we first brought you in. That you can read others thoughts and communicate with them.”

“I wasn’t sir.”

“Good. And if you are worried about it, don’t. Your telepathic powers is strictly off the records, as far as we’re concerned it doesn’t exist.”

“Thank you sir. I wouldn’t want my head to be poked around by doctors and scientists.”

He nods, “I agree. You’re too valuable for the Alliance to be in a situation like that. As for why we’re here, I think we should head inside.”

When the doors opened, the admiralty board was gathered. Every solider of high rank was there, in a line on each side of the room. He and Hackett walked in the middle and stopped halfway up. “Sir, what is this?”

“Upon her death and way before that, Capt. Emmerson sent constant reports on her squad, mostly about you. In her reports, she’s mentioned your skills and knowledge of the mission on Torfan, and she was impressed by your ability to follow through, even when the situation got out of control, she mentioned you were there to stop it. Your biotic abilities, your cunning, the way you can hold your own. All very impressive. Which brings me to the point of this meeting… you’re being promoted, to the N7.”

He was shocked to the news of a promotion. _N7? One of the best programs in the Alliance. And they choose me?_

“Congratulations. Make us proud.”

* * *

After being promoted to the N7 program, he went on his way to his new assignment, but not before he contacted the lieutenant on Torfan.

“Did you hear? I got promoted today.”

Beth replied via Omni-tool, { _“I heard! Congratulations! What did they promoted you with? It gotta be something big.”_ }

“Well, if you’d call the N7 program big, then yeah.”

She replied, { _“You got into N7? That’s crazy!!! Only a year one the job and you got N7? That’s awesome!!!!”_ }

“I got a new assignment, so I guess I won’t be coming back. I’m sorry Beth.”

{ _“Don’t be. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Emmerson would have been proud.”_ }

“Yeah, I know.”

Beth replied feeling that he might be saddened by the new promotion he was given. { _“Hey, if you ever need anything, you know, information and stuff like that, let me know, ok? I’ve got connections.”_ }

“Thanks LT, I owe you one.”

{ _“You don’t owe me anything.”_ } With that she hung up.

While heading to a shuttle in order to meet his CO and the new crew he’ll be working with, he got an email from someone unknown via Omni-tool. This person left no name, he was suspicious as to who was contacting him, so he played it cool and answered.

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: [redacted]

SUBJECT: Rising Up

Congratulations on your promotion, it’s most impressive.

[end message]

 

TO: [redacted]  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Rising Up

Who the hell are you?

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: [redacted]

SUBJECT: RE: Rising Up

A friend. That’s all you need to know for now.

[end message]

 

TO: [redacted]  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Rising Up

A friend? Yeah, right, and I’m supposed to believe that? I don’t know you.

PS: Fuck off!

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: [redacted]

SUBJECT: Knowing is half the fun

You may not know me, but I know you. More than you think. You’re name is Dar Akuze, solider of the Alliance. You butchered the batarians on Torfan after they killed your captain. You’re a biotic. You were only a rookie and you've recently got promoted to the N7 program in one year. Most people might have taken longer. You're something special. 

And don’t worry, this is a private channel, no one can access it except me.

[end message]

 

TO: [redacted]  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Knowing is half the fun

You seem to know a lot about me, but how do I know I can trust you when I don’t know your name or where you are?

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: [redacted]

SUBJECT: RE: Knowing is half the fun

I’m not on Earth, for one. I don’t expect you to trust me, just know that I’ll be watching you.

[end message]


	3. Chapter 3

** Year 2183, Eden Prime **

The Normandy, an Alliance vessel, owned by Captain Anderson. It was design to be the first stealth ship in the Alliance fleet. The crew was ready and at their stations, greeting each other and their commanding officer, John Shepard. He walked to the helms to see if everything was good. A turian was there over seeing things, he then turned to leave. John soon joined him and found Anderson in the comm room, discussing about a mission to Eden Prime they were interrupted by a distress call.

Human soldiers fighting, explosions, gunfire, they took heavy casualties but then Anderson saw something on the screen, something big.

They soon suited up and went to the planet. John lead his team until they were attacked by a geth flyer, one of his squad members died, but they had to continue.

They raced to an open terrain where they found Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams still alive, fighting the geth.

“Ashley!”

She turned back to see, who was coming, “Skipper? What the hell are you doing here?”

Shepard scoffed, “I was going to ask you the same thing. Last time I saw you, you were back on Earth.”

“Admiral Hacket called, he needed to—” Ashley was interrupted by a shot from a geth behind the rock she hid behind.

The biotics flared from Alenko and he shot one of them, “You guys can talk later, we’ve got geth to deal with.”

“Oh, you don’t got to ask me twice!” Ashley had got to her feet and started shooting with him and Shepard. The geth fell like tin cans to the ground. Now at least they had a moment to catch up.

Going back a few years, Ash and John were rookies when they first met, serving under the same commander, going on reckon missions and trying to get themselves killed multiple times. Mostly Shepard. He wanted to prove to his mother that he could be just as brave as his sister, of course he does it in reckless ways. Ash was the one watching his back half the time, called him an idiot for doing so.

Eventually they got to know each other a bit more, and found out they were a lot alike. Both known for their family’s history in the Alliance. Ashley Williams, granddaughter to General Williams from the Shanxi War. John Shepard, son of Hannah Shepard, an executive officer aboard the Alliance dreadnought SSV Kilimanjaro. His sister is Jane, they’re both twins with Jane being the oldest by two minutes. Jane is a commander aboard the Alliance SSV Excalibur. She was given the title of War Hero, because of what happened in the Skyllian Blitz. And she is also a biotic. John wasn’t.

John would always seen to be a shadow sometimes, following in his mother’s and sister’s footsteps, but he proved himself worthy of the Shepard name, he survived an ambushed thresher laws nest while trying to save one life he didn’t know. Today he is a soldier of the SSV Normandy SR-1 serving under Captain Anderson but why he was assigned the mission to Eden Prime, he’ll soon find out.

John had a chance to talk to the marine for info, “Ok, now that we got some time, I want to know, how did you get here Ash?”

Ashley sighs, “Hacket’s orders, he sent us on a routine patrol to guard the scientists on their discovery on a dig site, at least until the geth showed up.”

Alenko nods, unbelieving the story, “The geth haven’t been seen outside the Veil in nearly two hundred years, why are they here now?”

“Maybe it has something to do with the beacon they dug up.”

Alenko tilted his head to the side, “A beacon? To what?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I’m not sure exactly, we’ll have to ask the scientists about it. Before the geth attacked, I escorted some of them in a bunker not too far from here.”

John knows this was a bad time but he had to know, “You said there were more of you, what happened to your squad?”

Ashley nods, “We got separated, they must have gone back to the beacon or they were killed by the geth. I’m not sure. All I’m getting is radio silence.”

John knows Ashley wouldn’t lie to him, she too smart for that and she says what she means even if it’s harsh. Ash lead them to the beacon but it wasn’t there. “No way, those fucking assholes, they must have moved it.”

“How can something like that be moved? You sure it was here?”

“Positive. The beacon was right here. Damnit! Maybe we’ll have better luck in finding the scientists, that’s if they’re still alive.”

It didn’t take long to find the scientists still in the bunker, they’ve explain the situation on how the attack started, and how hundreds of people were killed including Ashley’s team, and how the beacon was taken by a turian and his geth. Of course that last part couldn’t be right, because a turian was just with them when they landed, it had to have been some other. They left the scientists and went o find their turian friend only to find more colonists and his dead body with a gunshot wound to the head.

One of the colonists said that another turian named Saren came and shot him, and said that he went to the cargo train to get to the platform on the other side. John wasted no time and made a break for the train, of course they were ambushed by geth on the way there. After taking then out, he actives the cargo train.

Saren had made the geth set demolition charges, and went to the beacon and actives it. However Shepard and his team were on their trail, and deactivated the bombs, and after taking out the geth they found the beacon.

John called for the Normandy, Ashley and Alenko were at awe with the beacon that suddenly glowed green.

John turned to Alenko, “The Normandy should be on its way now. Now what do you suppose this is?”

“I don’t know John, some kind of alien tech.”

Then sudden the beacon activated again and tried to get Ash to come closer but John jumped in and saved her only to be caught in the beacon’s green ray. It lifted him up and showed him flash memories of something. The beacon was destroyed and Shepard fell unconscious.

For fifteen hours he woke up in the Normandy, he head was pounding and his body ached. Feeling a gentle hand on his shoulder, he jumped a little in the metal bed.

“Easy John, you been unconscious for a while.”

“I feel like I’ve been trampled by a krogan stampede. How long was I out?”

“Fifteen hours. You’re lucky to have your team with you, otherwise, you’d be varren meat.” Dr. Chakwas said as she looked at the datapad.

“It’s all my fault, damnit, I should have been more carefully.” Ashley nods in disgrace.

John gets up and puts his hand on her shoulder, “It wasn’t your fault, Ash, nobody could have known.”

“From what Kaidan told me, it sounded like the beacon malfunctioned while you were trying to get close.” Dr. Chakwas said.

“Yup, that about sums it up. Shit, I tell ya, when that beacon exploded… something happened.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. It’s like it was trying to tell me something. When it grabbed me, I could see something.”

Ashley touched her arm, gently squeezing it, “What was it Skipper?”

John rethinking the thoughts in his head, “Some type of alien…or aliens. Death and destruction, it’s not very clear. Like pieces of a puzzle, it’s all jumbled. I can’t understand it.”

Chakwas nods, “Well, whatever it is, you seem to be in perfect health. No physical damage to point out. Mental health, maybe but all and all you’re fine. I’ll leave you two for now, I need to fill in your chart.”

When Ashley and John were finally alone, she punched him in the arm as soon as he moves away. He reacts to the punch and rubs his sore arm, “Ow! What was that for?”

“You! You got me so damn worried back there. I thought you died you idiot!” She yelled at him.

“You hit me like that again and I might.”

She hits him again. “You dead yet?”

John knows it was sarcasm. If Ashley wanted him died, she would have done it herself and he knows that. He shrugs it off, and grabs her, forcefully bringing her towards him. He locks her in a heated kiss, and she kisses back. During the kiss, he sneaks his hand to squeeze her ass. Ashley does the same except she squeezes and rubs his cock against the fabric of his clothes. John groans and Ashley moans.

It wasn’t until they heard the door open, that they separated when Capt. Anderson came in. “John, how are you feeling?”

“I’m alright captain, just a little headache is all.”

* * *

** Citadel, 5 days earlier **

“Come on Liara…”

Liara sighs and nods as she packs her belongings, “Jane, we’ve been through this. I have a team waiting for me at the docking station and it’s important that I go.”

Jane argued, “But I just got shore leave! After the mission back on New Canton, I thought of nothing else but to come back to you. Having to hold you again in my arms, in a moment of complete silence, just the two of us.”

The asari purrs at the human’s touch wrapped around her waist. Leaning her head back to hers, she whispered, “You know how much I would love to just stay here with you. Nothing would be happier than for me to stay, but you know how I am Jane.”

“I know. I know. You’re always determine to continue your research on the protheans, never letting anything stop you. And I love you for that.” Jane kisses her blue cheek, letting go, she heads to the bed to sit. “So, where is the beautiful Dr. T’Soni going this time?”

“Knossos in the Artemis Tau cluster. I believe we found a prothean dig sight there. Hopefully, I can get information about the place.” She says as she finished gathering her things for the journey.

“Do you want me to come with?”

Liara turns to her, smiling, “I can handle it Jane. Trust me, just enjoy your shore leave, please.”

The red hair marine nods in defeat. The asari kisses her lips and heads out the door. She goes to the docking station where she meets her team and they soon head off to Knossos. Meanwhile, Jane heads out of the house and goes to the bar for drinks. 


	4. Chapter 4

** Year 2183, 5 days earlier, Omega**

Dar’s mission lead to bad places with bad people. Gangs and criminals from the roughest part of the Galaxy, Omega. It was an undercover job, some who take them don’t usually come back alive, but Dar wasn’t one of the usual, especially if he has help from an unknown source. 

The job was simple; join the gang of criminals to get information on their leader without any fallouts. An off the grid kind of mission, meaning, Dar wasn’t allowed to contact the Alliance for back up or information on this case.

He joined the Tenth Street Reds gang, to get information from them in order to shut it down. The Reds gang was from Earth and had traveled to different galaxies to do business with clients. He busted them about week later and took out their boss. Now, he does side missions for Aria T’Loak as an assassin, whenever she needs someone to kill who pisses her off she always calls for him whenever he’s in the area. Aria’s too smart to get in bed with the Alliance. 

At the moment right now, Dar is on the hunt for someone who just made Aria’s kill list. And since he also has an assignment from the Alliance, it became a little more complicated than it turned out to be.

Luckily for him, he had help. His unknown source. This unknown source contacts him everyday, without revealing to much information as possible. Dar, at first, didn’t trust this person because of all the secrets, but eventually, he’s starting to warm up to it. Even got a name – or at least close enough – to this mysterious person; 'M'.

The mysterious 'M' gave him information on the guy he was looking for, and had said to be somewhere on Omega, perhaps in the slums. The information was correct as Dar found him with help from his other merc friends.

Having only little ammo left, Dar resorted to his baser instincts; his other weapon – biotics.

The criminals were no match for him as he took them out one at a time. By the time he got to the last, the guy shot at him and Dar broke his hand, cuffing him and taking him back to Aria. While waiting for the next ride out, Dar makes a call.

TO: M  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: Good Call

You were right about the intel, M. Thanks for that.

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: M

SUBJECT: RE: Good Call

You’re welcome. I told you that he was a few doors down from where you were. Any second longer and he would have escaped.

[end message]

 

TO: M  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Good Call

I don’t believe he would have escaped. Even without your intel, I would have still got him. He’d be a fool to run away from me for too long.

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: M

SUBJECT: RE: Good Call

Really? How so?

[end message]

 

TO: M  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: Trust?

We’ve talked a lot you and I, almost too much and it feels like I know you. Somehow. Even if we haven’t met in person. You told me once before that you know everything about me and yet I still don’t know you except by first initial emails in our conversations. But you don’t know what I know.

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: M

SUBJECT: RE: Trust?

What do you mean? You’ve been hiding something from me?

[end message]

 

TO: M  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Trust?

I’m not your average biotic. I have special powers, one that I have to keep hidden from the media and the public. Not even my colleagues know about it except for my superiors.

[end message]

 

TO: ButcherofTorfan  
FROM: M

SUBJECT: RE: Trust?

What are you talking me? You’re scaring me, and I usually don’t get scared that easy. And you’re right, we do talk a lot, we’re like friends you and I, so whatever you have to talk me it stays between us. Okay? So, just tell me, what’s this big secret you have?

[end message]

 

TO: M  
FROM: ButcherofTorfan

SUBJECT: RE: Trust?

I’m a telepath…  
[end message]

* * *

When he delivered the guy he was chasing to Aria, he went back to the Citadel, with the information he spilled back in Omega. One out of two wasn’t bad, but it made his superiors pleased with the results, and had mentioned that it’s one less criminal in the Galaxy.

Hacket’s reaction was bleak but that was normal for him. So he gave Dar the day off as a job well done and continued work with other soldiers. This gave the time Dar needed to head downtown to the Hostos’s children orphanage on the Citadel. Taking a cab there, he paid the man and went inside the building. Dar soon met with a salarian female named Akall Aelisi, she’s orange red with purple hands and spots on her face. She recognized Dar right away and greeted him, “Hello, Mr. Akuze, how are you doing today?”

Dar smile, “I’m alright, Akall. I just came by to see the kids today.”

“I see. Well, the children are in the playroom right now. They will be happy to see you Dar.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

He heads to the hall and just at the end of the way, he sees the children playing with toys and games that were donated from across the Galaxy. As soon as he got there, the children greeted him and gave him hugs. They were of different species; salarians, humans, turians, asari, and even quarians and drells including batarians. They were only kids, orphan kids, they know nothing about the world outside the orphanage, nor should they live it. It was a dangerous place to be.

Especially for children without a home or parents.

The batarian children don’t seem to mind Dar’s visits to the orphanage. The children believe him to be a hero fighting bad guys but they don’t know his dark nature as a murderer. He kept it that way.

“Dar! Dar!” The children cried out.

Dar smiles, “Hey kids. How’s it doing.”

He picks one of them up as another takes his hand and guides him in. The employees of the orphanage were happy to see the kids smile and laugh. 

**Author's Note:**

> Assemble Your Team. Fight For The Lost. #N7.


End file.
